What We Think: Audio clip reveals bad behavior

An audio recording that surfaced last week of top Lafayette Parish School officials chastising employees has revealed appalling behavior on the part of the administrators.

On the recording that is believed to have been made on a cell phone by one of the participants, Assistant Superintendent Sandra Billeaudeau and human resources director Bruce Leinenger are heard using foul language in a confrontational manner.

On Friday, Superintendent Pat Cooper said the heavily edited recording, posted on YouTube, appear to be taken in part from an "exploratory" meeting with three employees to find out if they had falsified time sheets.

Leininger uses the f-word. Billeaudeau at one point refers to employees not present by the common word for excrement.

Both threaten to fire the employees in vivid, expletive-laden terms.

This kind of language and abusive tone have no place in a professional setting, especially on the part of highly placed administrators in the course of executing their duties.

And this is certainly not the kind of example they should be setting for the tens of thousands of students in their charge.

Last Sunday this newspaper published an editorial expressing its support of Superintendent Pat Cooper and his turnaround plan. We called upon him and the school board to work together for the good of the students of the district.

That has not changed. We still believe Cooper's plan and his intentions are good.

We also mentioned that Cooper has made some missteps along the way.

This can be considered another one of those missteps within his administration.

Cooper was not at the exploratory meeting, which was held in November. In February, Cooper said, school board member Tehmi Chassion told him of the recording's existence. Chassion was concerned about an accusation that Billedeau had used a racial epithet during the meeting.

"It wasn't true," Cooper said, adding that he didn't learn of the inappropriate language used by the administrators until recently.

In a later disciplinary meeting that was also recorded, Cooper is heard telling a man to be quiet. The man was not part of the proceedings and was being disruptive by repeatedly interrupting, Cooper said, and therefore was asked to leave.

In his apology for the incident involving Billeaudeau and Leinenger, released as a statement last week, Cooper said the recording had been heavily edited and the parts the public has heard are out of context.

That brings up this question: In what context is that kind of behavior on the part of top administrators deemed appropriate?

Even if the employees had started using foul language first, it is us up to the administrators to set a professional tone and maintain it, even if the employee behaves inappropriately.

We have heard that teachers and school administrators have been reluctant to voice their concerns because of an atmosphere in the school system that discourages speaking out.

We have heard hints about insensitivity on Billeaudeau's part toward educators and parents.

The excerpted recording provides some evidence that those perceptions may have some validity.

This kind of behavior must stop.

We urge the superintendent to make sure his staff, especially those closest to him, behave in a professional manner at all times.

We call upon Cooper to foster the kind of working environment that encourages educators and other employees of the district to voice their opinions without fear of retribution or the kind of treatment thousands of Internet users have now witnessed.

There are many problems in our parish, from loss of funding to failing and near-failing schools to discipline problems.

The district doesn't need the additional problem of administrators who, by all appearances, use questionable and unprofessional tactics to conduct business.

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What We Think: Audio clip reveals bad behavior

An audio recording that surfaced last week of top Lafayette Parish School officials chastising employees has revealed appalling behavior on the part of the administrators.

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